Bookbinders'
art celebrated

As
the era of electronic books dawns, RIT celebrated the centuries-old
art of hand-crafted books at Bookbinding 2000, a conference
June 1-3 organized by David Pankow, curator of RIT's Melbert
B. Cary Jr. Graphic Arts Collection. The international event
centered on the installation and dedication of a book collection
assembled over 40 years by Bernard Middleton, esteemed expert
in book restoration.

"This was an extraordinary
opportunity to celebrate Mr. Middleton's life work and to hear
from the world's most knowledgeable experts on bookbinding,"
said Pankow. "The range of the presentations was amazing, from
philosophies of the craft to its history and techniques, to
the beauty of unique structures, fine gold tooling and the challenges
of design in leather."

Twelve presenters
with wide-ranging bookbinding backgrounds, including Middleton,
talked on issues ranging from preserving rare and important
books to decorative leather covering techniques. The conference
was a sell-out, with all 400 tickets sold well in advance.